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Chapter 208
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Claiming His Queen Chapter 209
I was awake when he opened the door at one in the morning, squinting against the bright lights that shone down on me as I ogled him with my eyes.He had taken the time to clean up before he walked in, as evidenced by his damp hair, despite being dressed in a plain turtle neck long-sleeved shirt and tailored pants.Puzzled eyes fell on me with a slight frown, the questions in his eyes refusing to leave his lips, and I did a quick twirl with the flowery white gown I was wearing and grinned, "Do you like it?""Yeah," he answered, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind him, "It's just, it's one, and that's not your nightie, and why is a veil over your face?"I took the remote from the dressing table and pressed a button, watching his face as the tune of 'Here Comes the Bride' filled the room. He raised an exhausted brow at me, and almost instantly, it dawned on him."You can't be serious." He laughed.Dropping my bouquet on the table, I picked up the rings I had ordered a wee
Claiming His Queen Chapter 210
"Did he just say 'Good day to you, Lily'?" Rune inquired, sitting across from me in a chair while I lounged on the bed. "Surely, there's more to his call than that."Well, it wasn't all...***"... how did you get my number—what the hell do you want?""Easy, easy now. One question at a time. Concerning how I got your number: you should put a leash on your cousin. His obsession is getting crazy." he laughed, sending a cold chill down my spine, "Now to the question: what do I want? I don't even know."I'm standing in an open space, a hundred steps away from Nonna, talking to a man who was once on the verge of killing me."Oh, oh, I remember," he grunted, "Gradually losing hold of my sanity. Now that I think of it, did I ever have it?"And rapidly, I found anger replacing my terror: anger at everything he had put me through in the guise of playing a game, anger at the life he ruined."What do you want, you son of a bitch?"The other end of the call went silent for a few seconds, and when
Claiming His Queen Chapter 211
RUNE"In this school, we prioritize parents' involvement in their child's life. Occasionally, you must attend extracurricular activities like sports days and school plays. We'll notify you in advance so you can plan your schedule. Your participation is important for your child's development and to foster community. Any questions?"Rune slowly raised his right hand, and the head teacher, a plus-sized woman he suspected was in her fifties, lowered her glasses to the bridge of her nose, " Yes, Mr Rune?""When you say occasionally, you mean...""Once a week. " His chest tightened. Coming down here and pretending he was a father to a kid who was probably street smarter than him was already hard enough.Kyra, although seated next to him, hadn't imputed a word to the conversation. Her black bob wig and nude-colored wig gave her the aura of a working wife. The smile she gave Laron constantly before calling him honey gave her bonus points.She was best suited for this conversation; two hours
Claiming His Queen Chapter 213
"So tell me, my fair Lily." I could hear the sarcasm in his voice. "What exactly did you do when our dear Don came back after we spoke? mourn silently next to him? "I stuffed a spoonful of my ice cream in my mouth and swallowed, "I married him." As if in agreement, my ring glimmered at me. "It was a really small wedding, just me, him, and the four walls of our bedroom; you wouldn't like to know what happened next."Rune was standing next to the opened window, operating a system. According to him, he could track down Ruslan if I kept the call going for long enough.And that included acting carefree on a call with a man I never thought I'd get to know."Living the fairytale dream in hell. I'm jealous of your bravery.” I heard a popsicle crack, and he continued, "You confuse me." Perhaps my men gave me the wrong reports about you? You seem... mysterious. "His childlike curiosity about my recent behavior and the character that I adopted that was not in any way affiliated with the real m
Claiming His Queen 213
Salvatore.How could he describe this feeling—the feeling of loss washing over him? Of isolation? Perhaps a case of homesickness?He had been struggling to look at things the same way for the past week, going over files to see if there was anything he could dig for that would lead him back to Campania, but he had come up empty-handed.It didn't do his mental health any good to remember that Kyra warned him. When did he become so bullheaded? How could he have taken the freedom he gained in Campania for granted?There was another way to get out of there: calling Adler and eating back his words by asking him to give the orders. He wished he had his crucifix to hold onto. But wouldn't that be hypocrisy? Would God forgive the faith he had lost in him? In times like this, he wished for Father Martin's voice, telling him how there wasn't a fault God couldn't pardon.He could go back to the house where he last saw his crucifix, but that meant returning to the last place he spent the night w
Claiming His Queen Chapter 214
It had to be a mistake; Lily wouldn't hide such crucial information from him. She wouldn't put herself in harm's way. Who was he kidding? The Lily he knew would walk into disaster with eyes wide open. "We had a deal, you bastard," Adler clenched his jaw, trying to contain the mix of anger and frustration bubbling inside him. "You were to leave Lily out of this."There was a brief silence on the other end before a lengthy, low-pitched laughter followed by the voice, "Adler, come on, we just talked. She's fun to speak to; I couldn't resist."It was difficult for him to think or form words due to the rising heat in his chest; all he wanted was for the fucking game to end."Did you cut me off, little cousin? It was getting hard to reach you all of a sudden," Ruslan continued. "By the way, congratulations on your nuptials. She sounded extremely happy when she broke the news. Where is she anyway? Beside you? She was in the garden the last time I checked."His fears were confirmed. The ba
Claiming His Queen Chapter 215
KYRAIf Rune wasn't on the run after she had given him a heads-up that Adler was on the lookout for him after finding out he helped Lily communicate with Ruslan, she wouldn't be here.None of that would have happened if he hadn't brought it upon himself, so tell her why she had to be the one present for Laron's art and craft, which involved making bracelets out of alphabet beads.They were in a large, noisy hall, with each group of children wearing a different colored shirt that matched their group. Laron was in yellow, and just like the last time she checked, his eyes weren't on his bead and string, but on a girl in another group who was in a red shirt.Kyra gazed at the forgotten string in his hand; his alphabet beads formed the word 'CHLOE', and she instantly comprehended the situation.Despite the noise of children and parents and the discomfort of her formal attire, she started selecting beads, unsure of the message she wanted to create.Her name? That sounded about right. With a
Claiming His Queen Chapter 216
LARON"Do you have a hobby, buddy? football?" The only good thing about being here was the food; other than that, it was all a waste of time, Laron thought as he stuffed his mouth with steak, not to mention the high-placed man looking into his face and forcing conversations.Some distance away from Laron and Luigi, Kyra stood nearby, feeding and caressing a horse. Her excitement contrasting with the gentleness she used to brush its mane.She seemed so different from her usual self; the soft care she had used on him back at the art and craft studio was on full display, and for a moment, he was jealous of the horse and detested the man who owned it.As Kyra waved and Luigi waved back, the smile on his face disappeared. Why did this man always invade his space?Maybe if he ignored him, he would be left alone."I play golf sometimes." Luigi picked up his half-field glass of wine. "What do you play?" "Nothing." His answer was a snap; perhaps the wealthy boy would catch on quickly and ta
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Claiming His Queen Epilogue
ONE YEAR LATER**RUNE—KYRA**"...I'm just saying it's not fair Laron gets to spend the summer break with Luigi," Rune followed Kyra to Laron's wardrobe. "Luigi gets all of his weekends. What time do I get to have?"Kyra snatched Rune's equestrian leggings and walked back to the bed. "You're exaggerating again." She folded the leggings and tucked them into Laron's nearly overflowing box before turning to him. "You gave him the go-ahead, remember?""Yeah, but that was before I realized it was for a whole month. He's monopolizing all of Laron's free time," Rune sighed, flopping onto Laron's bed dramatically. "I just miss hanging out with my son, you know?"She stayed silent, and when he looked up, she was staring at him."Why?""Well," she zipped the bag close and walked up to him, "why does it seem like you haven't learned how to tell Laron no?"Rune frowned. "What are you saying? I tell him no all the time.""No, you don't." She straddled him, placing her hand flat on his chest. "Alri
Claiming His Queen Chapter 240
ADLERWhen he reached the Villa, the memories came hurling in. The last time he had been here, under that open shed, Larissa and Dimitri were having the time of their lives.He could still remember the lively evening, how he heard the chatters as soon as he parked, looking around him at the goons on every turn.Presently there was no single soul on this premises, but Adler knew better.Parking Kyra's motorcycle right in the center of the compound, he observed the house, its windows, all dark, except one of them, on the ground floor, the orange glow giving it an eerie touch.The gun firm in his left hand, Adler moved through the shadows, the moonlight his aid as he advanced headfirst through the entrance.Maneuvering his way through doors, following the orange glow, he placed his finger readily on the trigger, listening for a sound.But nothing came, just the faint silence.He felt it was coming to this, watching his opponent spiral down a rabbit hole as he struggled with the obsession
Claiming His Queen 239
ADLER**FOUR MONTHS AGO**He could hear the elevator go down and for the first time in his life since the afternoon his mother died, he wanted to drop to his knees and give it all up.It was over. The wet towel seemed to burn against his skin, the wet towel over his head was now hot lava, and the metal around his finger was rapidly heating up and cutting off his circulation.He couldn't make it, there was no use trying, for what he had done, this was well-deserved, two hells in one lifetime, he dared anyone to beat that?But Lily? His mind tugged. What about Lily? The thought that he was never going to see her again was too great a loss to take without trying.Adler rose.Then came the beam, whirling down and landing on where his lower legs were supposed to have been if he hadn't rolled over just in time, his palm flattened on the hot ground.Holy fuck! He snapped it back to himself and hastily yanked out the hot ring, hoping to save it but then kicked against the idea when the band s
Claiming His Queen Chapter 238
SALVATORESalvatore stirred, his lids opening as he gradually regained consciousness, eyes meeting the bright lights of the chandeliers above him.His head felt like a shattered egg, memories mangled and hitting him piece by piece, as the familiar aura registered. He was still in the manor, he could tell, but where exactly?The wails of a baby had his eyes snapping fully open, and Salvatore was sitting up in a jolt. The pain that went through him was like torrents, his head felt heavy, and the world around him seemed to spin."Hey look, our main guest is awake," Victor's taunts clouded his ears. "Christ, don't go back to sleep again, we've been waiting."Salvatore struggled to his feet, the sight before him sending his heart thudding.Victor sat on a settee, crossed-legged, with Eva beside him, hair stuck to her wet face, and her red-rimmed eyes staring forward, the hopelessness in them so obvious.If Constance's cries came from the crib, next to a goon, then where was Lily? He turne
Claiming His Queen 237
RUNERune could taste the blood that coated his mouth. Still, he gritted his teeth, refusing to let the cries out. With his hands held back, the old man pounded his fist into his abdomen unrelentingly.The pain was excruciating, each blow sending shockwaves through his body. Rune's vision blurred, but he forced himself to stay conscious, to keep thinking.There was no way out of this, he knew. They were behind closed doors, in a room that smelled like dust and cobwebs; no one could hear him here.Well, no one except Laron, whom he constantly ordered to shut his eyes. The boy stood before the second goon, eyes shut, yet tears still rolled down his face.Every sniffle he heard from Laron cut through like a knife, and he wished he could do something, be the super dad Laron believed in, but right now the only thing he could do was stare at the floor."Had enough?" the old man sneered, his knuckles smeared with Rune's blood. "I thought to make this easier on you, but..." He grabbed a handf
Claiming His Queen Chapter 236
SALVATORE"...What did you use this time?" Salvatore asked, slamming the booth shut. "Will they live?"Rune blinked, staring wide-eyed at him. "You wanted them to live?"Kyra's head shot up from the driver's seat. "What did you do?"Rune chuckled, raising both hands in mock surrender. "I'm kidding. The soldiers are alive. They'll feel some type of way tomorrow, but that's just Ketamine for ya."Salvatore fought the urge to pull out a pistol and aim at the fucker's right leg. This wasn't the time to be stupid; tension was high, and it was D-day.Just like Rune had promised, the compound had few goons, and they also seemed to be in panic. It would be this way until they got out of this godforsaken place."The back gate is empty," Rune whispered as he walked up to Kyra, cupping her face with both hands and kissing her full on the lips. "See you on the other side in a few minutes, Princess."But she drew him back in. Urgh, Salvatore groaned and turned away. Those two behaved like they wer
Claiming His Queen Chapter 235
SALVATORE"...There's been another attack." Victor inhaled the smoke from the lit end of his cigar. "It happened at the same time as the fire yesterday. Ruslan is finally convinced of my innocence."Salvatore shared a glance with Kyra and then back at Victor. Was he actually saying the fire he had started to disrupt the engagement and that had somehow gotten out of hand was connected with an attack?Quietly wincing as the cloth grazed his partially burnt arm, Salvatore returned his gaze to Victor, who was suddenly deep in thought."I'll be gone again," Victor waved away the smoke, "but this time for a few days. Again, Salvatore will stay behind. I wish it didn't have to be so, but I need someone I can trust to keep Eva safe."He resisted the urge to share another glance with his sister. Even though he couldn't read anything on her straight countenance, he knew she was still mad at him."Can you?" Victor asked. "I can easily put her under Kyra's care. Give my father's favorite princess
Claiming His Queen Chapter 234
EVASince Victor came back, he had been so busy he barely found time to see her. The days seemed even more void, the future gloomy. Hiding away in the confines of this room, she listened to the sound of the chapter of her life closing.Now she climbed down the bed, went to her wardrobe, and crouching to her knees, pulled open a compartment and brought out a small wooden box. It had been months since she last looked at its contents, afraid it would bring back unwanted memories and reignite her obsession with him, but here she was.Eva looked behind her at the door, then back at the box. Taking a deep breath, she flipped open the cover, staring absently at the contents inside a little beaded necklace that held a crucifix. His crucifix.She had sunk so low as to steal a part of him while he slept. She doubted he ever searched for it. If he did, he’d know it was missing and no longer in the pretty house that smelled of him.She struggled, praying for the embarrassment to wash over her so
Claiming His Queen Chapter 233
LILY"I was six when I discovered that the convent sisters who came once a week to take children from the orphanage were anything but angels," Ruslan said, rocking my daughter's cradle. "It became clear why the boys never came back, and the girls who did barely lived."Twenty minutes ago, I had laid my sleeping daughter in her crib and rushed into the bathroom for a quick soak, despite knowing she wouldn't stir.Two seconds ago, I stepped out of the bathroom with a towel around my chest and damp hair still dripping, only to see Ruslan standing over Constance's crib and staring at her.Even though he didn't touch her, my racing pulse refused to die down.But he paid no heed to my presence and continued, "They needed us in a coal mine in this little spot in Serbia." He paused, his gaze remote. "Our starved, wiry, agile bodies were the perfect fit for narrow spaces, running errands, and sometimes checking if the explosives had completed their work."My hawk-like eyes on Constance made it
